Saving Sarah
by JulieM
Summary: This story is mainly about Little AJ...All the usual suspects appear in it Harm, Mac, Bud, Harriet, etc. but this one's mainly Little AJ. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Spoilers: Anything up to the series finale, but nothing to major is said about this episode.

Rating: I'm going to say 'M' for some angst-y issues that aren't suitable for children (although it is a sad fact that many children have to deal with such harsh realities in their everyday lives.)

AN: This hasn't seen a beta, so all the mistakes in this are mine. Just a little idea I had, it deviates from any of the usual stuff I do. If I had to classify it, I'd say it was a Little AJ fic. Many other characters are involved, but it all eventually comes down to Little AJ. Hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: JAG and its main characters belong to DPB and to CBS. I don't make any profit from writing any of these fics, but simply get to exercise my overactive imagination every now and then. Please don't sue me, as I'm poor with very little money!

Category: In a way, it is Harm/Mac shipper, because Harm and Mac are together. However, like I said, this story is about Little AJ.

OOOO

Saving Sarah

Part 1

OOOO

Harriet and Mac were sitting out on the back porch of Harriet and Bud's new house. Harm and Bud had taken the Roberts children to see a movie, leaving the women lots of time to catch up. Harm and Mac had recently been transferred back Stateside, which was even better for them, now that Mattie was back in the in the US at college. They would be closer to her, which had Harm and Mac a lot more at ease.

"So, for now we're in a service apartment, until we can find a house," Mac was telling Harriet.

"That's great!" Harriet smiled then noticed that her glass was empty and that Mac's was nearly so, "Can I get you some more ice tea?"

"That would be great, thanks," Mac nodded, handing Harriet her glass.

While Harriet was in the kitchen, Mac leaned back in her chair and looked out over the yard. It was huge, so even though this house wasn't quite as large as the one they'd lived in previously, it was more suitable to the three growing boys and the growing little girl it now housed.

Mac nearly jumped in her seat when she caught sight of the little girl in overalls, standing at the side of the sun porch. The child looked just as surprised to see her.

"I'm sorry! " Mac apologized, "Guess we scared each other, huh?"

The child just smiled, shyly.

"Sorry, but AJ isn't here right now…"

She judged the girl to be about ten or so, so she must be here to see little AJ.

The girl just regarded Mac, her expression unreadable.

"He's gone out with his Dad and his uncle to see a movie…You're welcome to stay, though…"

The child stood still for a minute then ran back the way she came.

Mac rounded the porch, watching the child run across the street, disappearing from sight.

When Harriet came out, she let her know.

"One of AJ's friends just stopped by. I let her know that he was out and said that she could stay around, but she ran off…"

"A little girl?" Harriet asked, curiously.

"Yeah," Mac nodded, "she looked to be about nine or ten, so I wasn't sure if she was a friend of AJ's or Jimmy's, but I suppose she's more likely to be a friend of AJ's…"

"Well," Harriet supposed, "Jimmy's going through a stage now where he thinks that all little girls have the plague, so I suppose it must be a friend of AJ's. What did she look like?"

"Well, she had auburn hair in braids, was about this tall, was dressed in blue overalls…"

"Don't recognize that description, but maybe it's a new girlfriend!" Harriet smiled.

Little AJ was turning out to be something of a little Romeo, although he didn't seem to have totally realized the power he held in that smile, just yet!

"She'll probably be back around to see him later…"

"You didn't tell me about your new girlfriend, AJ Roberts!" Mac teased him, when he, his brothers, sister, uncle and father got home, a few hours later, "You've been in town all of two weeks and you've got a new girlfriend, already!"

"I don't have a girlfriend, Aunt Mac!" AJ laughed.

"Well, somebody came around and your Aunt and I just assumed she was your girlfriend," Harriet commented, "Maybe it was one of your new classmates."

"Mom, did she tell you that she was my girlfriend?" AJ grinned, with that cheeky Robert's expression, " 'Cos every girl wishes she was my girlfriend!"

Harriet and Mac gave a delighted chuckle, as Mac affectionately ruffled her Godson's spiky, blond hair.

OOOO

Now that they were back in the States, Mac was often on the phone to Harriet. In fact currently, Harriet was speaking to Mac, standing in front of the big bay window, looking out on their back yard.

"Mac, can I call you back, please?" Harriet frowned as she took stock of all that the back yard held, "I promise, I'll just be a ten minutes…"

Once she heard Mac hang up, Harriet replaced the receiver and slowly made her way outside. After a moment of thought, Harriet let the back screen door slam behind her, with a loud 'thunk.'

The figure sitting underneath the largest tree in the yard jumped and twisted around. When she saw Harriet standing on the porch, she quickly got to her feet, but Harriet put her at ease before she took flight.

"It's okay," she told the girl, "don't worry, it's okay for you to be here…you don't need to be afraid of me. You aren't here to see any of my boys, are you?"

"I don't know your boys," the child confirmed.

"I thought so," Harriet smiled, taking a seat on the grass, next to the girl, "You came over to sit in my yard?"

"I used to live here," the girl, told her, "I didn't mean to trespass…I just really needed to come and sit by the tree…I like it here and nobody ever seems to use it, so I thought it'd be okay, if I didn't bother anyone…"

"Do you still live in the neighborhood?" Harriet asked, "Because you can come by and sit out here anytime you want. Would you like to sit in the tree?"

"No, thanks," the girl shook her head, "I don't live around here anymore, so I don't think I can come again…But thank you, Mrs…"

"Mrs. Roberts," Harriet told her.

"Thank you, Mrs. Roberts," the girl nodded, then told her, "I'm Sarah."

"Anytime you want to come, Sarah," Harriet told her, "You're always welcome here."

They heard the sound of a large vehicle pulling up to the curb, outside and the girl hurriedly got up.

"You need to go?" Harriet asked her.

"My ride is here," Sarah nodded, "I just thought I'd have more time."

Harriet followed her outside through the side gate, catching sight of a large yellow bus.

The girl ran to where a strict, middle-aged woman stood, in the doorway to the bus, her arms crossed and her lips pursed.

The words 'Children's Home' were written in big, black letters on the side of the bus.

OOOO

"So she used to live in your house and now she's in a children's home?" Mac asked, as she and Harriet sat having lunch.

"I guess so, Ma'am," Harriet shook her head then looked up to see Mac's frown.

"Sorry," she apologized, "must be the uniform…Mac, I meant."

"So, what happened?"

"I don't know. Maybe she was a foster child? Maybe they had to put her into the state-run children's home? Maybe they couldn't take care of her, anymore?"

Just then, AJ came and joined them, coming from the playground outside, where he'd been keeping an eye on his younger siblings.

"AJ, Honey?" Harriet asked her son, "Do you know that little girl who was in our yard, yesterday?"

"The one who got on the big yellow bus?" AJ asked.

He had seen it briefly, and the girl and woman it carried out of the street, from his bedroom window.

"Yeah, kinda. She goes to my school," AJ nodded.

"Is she in your grade?"

"Yeah, but she's in Mr. Rennick's class. I don't really know anything about her."

"She said she used to live in our house," Harriet told him.

"She did?" AJ asked, "She's never said anything to me…Why's she in a children's home, Mom?"

"I don't know, Sweetie," Harriet hugged him, "Maybe she lost her parents. Not all children are as lucky as you and your brothers and sister. Could you go and get them, please? Their food's going to be here any minute."

AJ ran out to get his siblings.

"He's grown up so much since we've been gone," Mac smiled as she watched him.

"They grown up fast, don't they?" Harriet agreed, "Here's Mattie going back to college and AJ's in junior high…"

"I'm so glad Harm and I are back here," Mac confided, "Mattie's a lot more independent, now, but sometimes I worry about her, so much…"

"She's getting help and support at college, isn't she?" Harriet asked, concerned.

"Yeah," Mac nodded, smiling, "or else her Father never would have agreed to her going! She's so independent now, but I still worry about her. I can't help but try and help her with the things that still challenge her…I know she needs to do it on her own, but every time I see her fail and get so discouraged…"

"She'll get there, Mac," Harriet put her hand over hers, "She always does. Her doctors thought she might not even wake up, at first. Then they doubted that she'd ever walk again, even breath without a ventilator…Now she's going to college."

"Yeah," Mac smiled, wiping away a tear that had escaped, "I know…I know..."

OOOO

Harriet was surprised to find who had rung the doorbell, a week later.

"Mrs. Roberts," Sarah spoke up, quietly, "Is it still okay for me to be here?"

"Of course it is," Harriet told her, "just as long as somebody knows that you're here and doesn't think you're missing…"

"They won't think that I'm missing…" Sarah revealed, but added, "but they don't exactly know that I'm gone. Somebody's covering for me…"

"Then you can't stay too long," Harriet sighed and stipulated, "but I'll run you home, when you have to go. I don't want you traveling on public transport on your own."

When Mac came over, twenty minutes later, Harriet was on the front porch, watching AJ and Sarah as they talked underneath the giant tree.

"Hey," Mac smiled as she took a seat beside Harriet, "so AJ's little girlfriend came back?"

"He insists that she's not his girlfriend," Harriet smiled, "but then again they have kinda hit it off."

"So if she didn't come here to see AJ, why is she here?" Mac asked, "To see the house?"

"The tree, actually," Harriet revealed, "It seems to be important to her."

"She came all this way from the children's home to sit underneath that tree?"

"Seems like it. I haven't been able to get much out of her. I keep saying that I'll have to run her home, but I lose my resolve…Anytime now, somebody's going to notice she's gone…"

"Nobody at the home knows she's here!" Mac nearly spit out her ice tea.

"No," Harriet shook her head, "she said that she got the public bus here. I'm going to run her back, as soon as I can get her from under that tree…but…"

"Harriet," Mac told her, "you have to take her back, before you get into trouble."

"She made her own way here," Harriet argued.

"But you let her stay here," Mac pointed out, "even after you knew that she had left the home without any permission."

Harriet sighed.

"Yeah, I know…I'll go and get her."

After explaining to her why she had to return to the children's home, Harriet ushered Sarah around the side entrance to the yard.

"The next time you come here, Sarah," Harriet told her, "you're going to have to get an adult's permission. You'll get into big trouble, just disappearing. And what if something had happened to you, on your way here? Nobody would know to look for you, if they didn't even know you were gone. I'll even come and pick you up, if nobody can run you here, but you really need to ask permission."

"I know, Mrs. Roberts," Sarah sighed, "it's just that I really needed to be here, today and I knew that nobody would say yes…"

"I will come and get you, if you phone me," Harriet reiterated, "Just don't try getting the bus all the way here, again."

"Okay, Mrs. Roberts," Sarah nodded.

She and Harriet left in the SUV, while Mac stayed to keep an eye on the Roberts children. While Nikki, Mark and Jimmy were in the yard, AJ went to sit with his Godmother.

"Sarah's in your grade, isn't she AJ?" Mac asked, "Do you know anything about her?"

"Not much," AJ shook his head, "But some of the girls in my class do. They said that she had to go into the children's home last year, when her parents died."

"Did they say how it happened?" Mac asked.

"Not exactly," AJ revealed, "just that her Father died in an auto-accident. Some time after that, her Mom died too, so Sarah was sent to the children's home, because there wasn't anyone else to look after her…Aunt Mac, if anything happened to my Mom and Dad and there wasn't anyone else, could I come to live with you and Uncle Harm?"

"Of course you could," Mac hugged her Godson, "Uncle Harm and I would never stand by and let any of our Godchildren get put into a children's home. Has this been bothering you?"

"Kinda," AJ revealed, "Somebody said something at school and it's made me think, ever since."

"What was that?" Mac asked.

"That nobody wants older kids," AJ told her, "They said that people who adopt kids are looking for a little kid, ones that they can raise. They said that somebody like Sarah would be in the children's home until they were 18 and that after that, they'd just be pushed out the door and forgotten about…"

"I'm sure that wouldn't happen," Mac soothed him, "Mattie was older than Sarah is, now and Harm and I still took her into our family…"

"Yeah, but not every family is like you and Uncle Harm," AJ explained, "In real life, you and Uncle Harm are just like you are at work. You don't stop when you find something that is wrong until you've made it right. Most other people I know wouldn't look twice, if they saw something happening that wasn't right."

"Not all people would do that, AJ," Mac stroked AJ's cheek, "I'm sure there's somebody out there for Sarah. Try not to worry about it."

OOOO


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

OOOO

AJ was walking with his friends in the schoolyard, when they came upon a group of older girls standing in a circle.

"So how does it feel," one of them was asking, "to know that you'll never see your Mom again unless you do something really awful?"

AJ stopped, wanting to find out what was going on. Something did not feel right about this.

"Or, maybe," one of the other girls sneered, "because of her Mom, she'll get a fast-pass straight to hell!"

"Shut up!" AJ heard somebody yell then the girl who had just spoken fell back, under the force of somebody pushing her.

He saw Sarah pounce on the girl then she disappeared as the other girls crowded around, trying to get Sarah off their friend. The whole thing was interrupted by the arrival of the teacher on duty, Mr. Rennick. He hauled Sarah off the other girl, telling them, "Into my classroom, all of you! I'm going to take Sarah to see the school nurse, then we'll be back to talk about what happened here."

Sarah was bleeding from a blow to her nose and Mr. Rennick fished out a handkerchief, to wipe the mixture of tears and blood that was streaming down her face.

"You want to tell me what that was about?" Jason Rennick asked, sternly, when he had Sarah in a quiet corner of the playground.

Sarah shook her head, mopping her nose.

"Mr. Rennick?" AJ stepped forward, trying to be respectful, since he was essentially interrupting, but he did not feel he could watch Sarah go down for defending herself, "Sorry to interrupt, but I saw what happened. Those girls were being really mean. They said some very hurtful things about Sarah and her Mom."

"I see," Mr. Rennick sighed, "Okay, thanks, AJ. I think I understand better, now."

After that, Mr. Rennick sent AJ along to help Sarah to the school nurse, while he went to have a word with the older girls back in his classroom.

"What those girls said," AJ told Sarah, on the way, "it just wasn't right. It was really mean. They were just trying to get to you and what they said…there's no truth in it."

AJ didn't know much of what the older girls were talking about, but he refused to believe that anyone his age was a bad enough person to go to hell.

"Thanks, AJ," Sarah choked out, reaching out to squeeze his hand, before she knocked and proceeded inside the nurse's office.

AJ didn't see her again, until later that day.

OOOO

"AJ!" Harriet shouted, loudly, from her place by the bay window.

AJ came running, and stared at his mother, before turning to look at what she was watching so intently. It took him a second to realize what he was seeing, as it was raining heavily outside.

He was quick to follow his Mother at a run, out the back door and into the yard.

"Sarah!" Harriet exclaimed, loudly, to be heard over the noise of the pelting rain, "What on earth are you doing here!"

Sarah was kneeling in front of the tree and AJ and Harriet lifted each of her arms over their shoulders and helped her indoors.

Harriet sent her son to go and get some dry towels, while she stripped the freezing cold outer clothes from the shaking child. AJ quickly wrapped a big towel around her, worried about her being embarrassed in front of him. Sarah didn't seem to be aware of his presence, though. She just looked to Harriet, who stroked a hand through her dripping hair.

"Sarah, Sweetheart," Harriet shook her head, "You know that you can phone us, if you every need to talk."

"I don't think you can help me with this…" Sarah finally spoke.

"What happened to your nose, Honey?" Harriet asked, "It looks swollen…"

"Mom, Sarah was getting picked on by some big girls, today," AJ told his mother, then turned back to Sarah, "Sarah, what they said to you…"

"I don't care what they said," Sarah shook her head, "I just wanted to know, why…"

"They were just being mean," AJ tried to reassure her, "There's no real reason why they said what…"

"No," Sarah shook her head again, "That's not what I mean…you wouldn't understand."

Harriet took her son aside and he explained what he was talking about.

"There were some big girls picking on Sarah, today, in the yard, at school," AJ told her, "They were saying some really mean things about her…"

"What?" Harriet wanted to know.

"That…" AJ hesitated, "that she was…going to go to hell…"

"What!" Harriet gasped, "Why on earth would they say something so vicious? That's absolutely despicable!"

"I don't know," AJ insisted, "that was about all I heard before Sarah pounced on the girl who said it. But one of them did say something first about doing something bad, before she'd ever see her Mom again. Then the other said she might go straight to hell…she said it was because her mother had."

Harriet sighed then turned back to Sarah.

"Honey," she went and hugged the child, still shivering in her living room, "What are you doing here? It's late and you should be back home, getting ready for bed."

AJ himself had already been dressed for bed before this, so Harriet gestured for him to go and get out of his wet PJs and into a dry pair.

"I needed to find out why…" Sarah repeated, "Why she left me…"

"Oh, Sweetie!" Harriet hugged the child, "I'm so sorry about your Mom, but she didn't leave you on purpose. No Mother would chose to die over watching her child grow up…it just happens, sometimes, it's not anyone's fault."

Sarah just shook her head.

"No," she told Harriet, looking at her with wide, green, soulful eyes, "mine did…She killed herself…Right out there, in the branches of that tree…"

OOOO

"She WHAT?" Mac exclaimed, when Harriet told her, the next day.

"Sarah's mother hung herself from one of the branches of the tree, not long after her husband was killed," Harriet expanded, "John was killed in an auto-accident, on a trip to the grocery store, after Beth sent him to go and get milk and a loaf of bread. She blamed herself for sending him out and couldn't live with herself. There was no other family around to take her, so Sarah got put in the state-run children's home."

"That poor kid," Mac lamented.

"She was the one who found her, too," Harriet continued, "She called 911 and when the medics found them, Sarah was still trying to lift her mother's body up, to cut off the pressure of the rope around her neck…It was too late, she'd long since stopped breathing…"

Mac shook her head in amazement, watching the two pre-teens sitting out in the yard, talking.

"Few kids have at as hard as she has," Mac marveled, "Yet, she's amazingly put together."

"She wasn't last night," Harriet told her, "She just broke down in my arms. I think it's been coming on for some time, now. I just held her, all night long…"

"Does anyone at the home know she's here?" Mac asked.

"I called and checked in with one of her supervisors," Harriet nodded, "They said it was okay that for her to stay the night, that they'd send someone out to pick her up, later this morning."

"She and AJ seem to get on well," Mac noted.

"He's been so concerned about her," Harriet nodded, "He's such a thoughtful boy, but I'm so afraid he's going to get upset by all of this. He's getting so attached to her and her position is so precarious. I don't know how I can help her. I want to help her, but I don't want AJ or any of the other kids to get hurt in the process."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Mac asked, "I'll do anything I can…"

"I don't even know how I can help, at this point," Harriet sighed, "but I really appreciate the offer, Mac. I'll let you know, once I've had some time to figure out what the answer to your question is."

Mac nodded, then went to join the two children in the yard.

"This is my Aunt Mac," AJ told Sarah, who looked up at the adult joining them, "she's not exactly my Aunt…I mean, she's not my Mom or my Dad's sister, but she's the closest thing to a sister either of them has and she's also my Godmother…"

"Oh, I see," Sarah nodded, "so she's one of those family friends who you wish was your relative, rather than the ones you actually get?"

"Yeah!" AJ laughed, "exactly! I mean, I love my relatives, but sometimes some of them they can be real trying. My Aunt Mac's much cooler!"

"Nice to meet you, Mrs…"

"Rabb," Mac shook the girl's hand, "but call me Mac."

"Mac?"

"My first name is Sarah, too, but most of my friends call me Mac. It's an abbreviation of my maiden name, MacKenzie."

Just then, they heard a loud rattling noise.

"That'll be my ride," Sarah stood up and dusted the grass off the back of her jeans, "I'd better go."

AJ followed Sarah as she went to thank Harriet. Harriet hugged her then Sarah waved to Mac and jogged around the house, to where the big yellow bus had parked by the curb.

"Poor kid," Mac bit her lip.

"I just wish there was something we could do to help her," Harriet was really feeling her mothering instinct kicking in.

AJ just looked at them both and went inside, going to his room.

OOOO

Later that night, once his father was home, AJ asked if he could speak to him on his own, before dinner was ready.

"Dad," AJ asked, once they were seated on the steps leading into the back yard, "When did you first really like a girl?"

Bud thought he knew where this was going, but did his best to answer his son.

"Well, I guess when I was around the same age as you are."

"And the first time you took a girl out?"

"Well…I was quite a bit older, AJ. I liked plenty of girls, but not many were that interested in going out with me…Your Mom was the first girl I was ever really head-over-heals for, though."

"And when you met Mom, there wasn't anything you wouldn't do for her?"

"No, I can't say there was, AJ."

"How did you know for sure, though, that you really wanted to be with her forever?"

"Well, I couldn't think of my life without her. We'd spent a lot of time together, we'd talked about so much and I guess our ideas of how we'd live the rest of our lives…they seemed to slowly merge together. I loved your mother and couldn't imagine my life without her and she couldn't imagine her life without me and…like you said, there is nothing I wouldn't have done for her…where is all this coming from? Have you met somebody, AJ?"

AJ slowly looked at his Dad and nodded.

"Did Mom tell you about the girl that was over here earlier? Sarah?"

"Yeah, I was real sorry to hear about her parents and where she's living, now."

"Well, I've been thinking a lot about it and I think I've come to a decision…"

Bud paused, knowing that his son was going to spring something major on him. He wasn't wrong, but Bud hadn't quite counted how thoughtful and dedicated his son was.

"I think that you and Mom should adopt Sarah, Dad…"

Bud just stared at his son, for a second.

"Well, son…I…This is a major decision."

"I know and I have thought it through, Dad," AJ said, in a very serious tone.

"Well, I know how much you probably feel for Sarah, it's natural that you want to help her. Your Mom and I have tried to raise you and your brothers and sister to question things and to fight for what's right…but not all things in this world are right. Sometimes things happen and they aren't anybody's fault, but there's not always something you can do about it…"

"But we can help Sarah," AJ maintained, "If we adopt her, she can come and live with us and she'll have a home and a family and she won't have to live in that horrible children's home. Dad, she's so unhappy there…"

"I know, son," Bud pulled his son into a hug, "and I'm so sorry that Sarah's life has turned out this way…"

Bud paused to think of a way he could calm his son down. But again, he would only learn how much he had underestimated AJ. His son was the best blend of him and Harriet and knew only how to give all of himself to a cause he believed in.

"Have you ever thought," Bud asked, "what would happen after we adopt Sarah and she becomes a part of this family? I know how much you like her, son…"

Here, AJ went to object, but Bud held up his hand, determined to finish.

"I know you do, AJ, but if she became your sister, any feelings other than those that are brotherly would have to be put aside, it's as simple as that. Do you really think you could do that?"

"There's nothing I won't do for her, Dad."

OOOO

Bud and Harriet were getting ready for bed and he was telling her about his discussion with their first-born.

"I was worried that he was going to take this to heart," Harriet told her husband, "I mean, I am so sorry for that little girl, Bud, but I really don't see how we can adopt her. We have five children, four of whom are still with us, by the grace of God and we're going to have to support every them in every way imaginable, for many years to come."

"I know what you mean, " Bud nodded, "with me working full-time and you part-time on top of that, we're making enough to get by, but our savings account isn't looking all that healthy. We've really got to make some provisions for a rainy day and yet, we're already looking at the prospect of forking out substantial amounts…"

For some time now, the family dentist had been concerned with Jimmy's overbite and Nikki and Mark both looked like they might require orthodontic treatment too, in the future. Factor in unpredictable life circumstances and you had a recipe for disaster.

"…I know we should be encouraging him to fight for what he believes in, but I really don't see how we can possibly encourage him in this idea," Bud continued.

"I know, Honey," Harriet agreed, "I really want to help that little girl, but I really don't think we can take on the responsibility of another child…"

Bud watched her for a second then asked, "What?"

"I just thought of something," Harriet told him, thinking it through again, "I had somebody offer to help and I think that they might be in a better position to do so. But I've got to be sure, before I say anything…"

Bud pressed her for details, but she requested some more time. And Bud knew his wife well enough to trust her. He knew Harriet and the magic she was capable of.

OOOO

They all watched the children running through the tall grass, as they followed, at a distance.

"Thanks for inviting us up here, Bud, Harriet," Harm told them, "It was a great idea, to have a picnic!"

"I hope you two didn't mind helping us cater for one more," Harriet tested, "I just couldn't leave her in a place she's so unhappy in. There are people at the home who do all they can for Sarah, but she just really needs a family. She really misses her parents on such a special day as today and I couldn't think of a better way to take her mind off what she's missing."

"Of course it's okay," Mac assured her.

"Absolutely," Harm agreed, "a little girl can't spend her first birthday since losing her parents on her own. In fact, we brought along a little surprise."

Harriet didn't ask anymore, but went about setting up the blanket and helping Harm and Mac unload all of the goodies out of the big picnic baskets.

After everything was almost ready, Bud called all of the children over.

Once they had all finished the picnic lunch, Mac looked to Harm and Harm looked back at her, giving her a nod before he got everyone's attention.

"Well, I hope that everyone still has room, because when Harriet told us that today was a very special day, Mac and I went out and bought something special for dessert."

Here, Mac lifted out an iced birthday cake, with two candles in the shape of a '1' and a '2.'

A big smile spread across the birthday girl's face and Harm and Mac seemed just as happy to see that Sarah was this happy.

Harriet smiled a knowing smile and looked to her husband, who was not surprised at seeing that this was the idea she had come up with and couldn't have told him about before now. He should have known that her hunch would be right on the button!

They weren't in the position to help Sarah, but it was possible for them to assist some people close to them, who were in the position to help…

OOOO


	3. Chapter 3

OOOO

14 years later…

"Come here, son," Bud bid his oldest son, pulling him closer to adjust his tie.

Contrary to all predictions, AJ had not followed Bud into the military. AJ now worked as an intern in one of the busiest ERs in DC.

"Dad," AJ complained at the increased restriction around his throat. He was finding it hard enough to breathe as it was.

"There," Bud chuckled, remembering how nervous he'd been when he'd married Harriet.

"Where is she?" AJ asked.

"With your Mom and your Aunt Mac, in the guest bedroom, getting ready," Bud didn't even need to ask who AJ was referring to. There had only been one person for AJ, since the day she had entered his life.

The vicar approached them, requesting that they take their places.

Bud gave his boy a last encouraging pat on the shoulder, before he took his seat and was joined soon after by his wife. Across the aisle, Mac also took her seat and blotted away a stray tear with her Kleenex. On this day, she was not a marine.

Once the rest of the guests had taken their seats, set up in the back yard the day before, the music began. First of all, the bridesmaids made their way down the aisle, each with a groomsman. The best man, AJ's friend Eddie from medical-school, stood beside him, ready with the rings.

Finally, when his bride appeared at the end of the carpet, AJ felt the breath leave his body. His eyes were wide and his breathing shallow, as she made her way to him, on his Uncle Harm's arm.

When Harm delivered her to him, he fully expected to wake up from whatever wondrous dream he was having. To his surprise, she reached out and grasped his hand tight enough to show him she was just as nervous as he! After that, although her grip eased, it remained firm enough to tell him of her love for him. They may be nervous, but that had nothing to do with how strongly they felt for each other. They were 100 percent certain of this.

Harriet, like Mac, blotted her eyes more than once during the ceremony. Mac had not been on her own, even before Harm had joined her, because Trish and Frank were also in attendance today. Mattie was standing in a lilac bridesmaid's dress, a little to the side of her sister and Nikki Roberts a little behind her. None of the Rabb clan could be more happy for their daughter, or for AJ, who was as close to family as one could get, although not as officially as he was about to become!

Through the exchange of vows and rings, they managed to keep it mostly together. However, once AJ lifted his bride's veil and again when the couple kissed for the first time as husband and wife, Harriet was unable to keep silent. Once everyone began to cheer, she was one of a few who were unable to contain the loud, vocal sobs.

"Hey!" Bud chuckled, pulling his wife into him with one arm, "what's that for? Our son has just become a married man. This is a happy occasion!"

"I know," Harriet choked out, a fresh barrage of tears starting, "And I'm so, so happy…"

Bud just chuckled, bemused.

Over where Harm and Mac had gone to congratulate their daughter and son-in-law, Mac was in a similar state.

"Mom," Sarah smiled, amused, "don't cry…"

"I'm sorry, Sweetie," Mac attempted to get herself together, dabbing away the tears, frantically, "I know I shouldn't. I'm going to ruin your dress by dripping on it."

Mattie just laughed and steered their mother away.

Harm pulled his daughter into his arms.

"I'm so proud of you," he whispered, "I already love AJ like a son, but if he ever forgets to treat you like the princess you are, you just call me and I'll come round and knock some sense into him…"

Sarah laughed and nodded, as AJ returned after briefly thanking the vicar.

He slipped his arm around his new wife's waist and whispered in her ear.

"Are you sure that you still want to do the whole champagne reception thing? Because, I was thinking…we could just skip to the honeymoon and leave everybody here to it…"

Sarah laughed as she gently cupped her husband's cheek with her hand.

"AJ Roberts," she scolded him, much like she had done all through their teenage and courtship years, "You've waited 14 years to make me your wife and now you can't share me with our friends and family for another three hours?"

AJ just pulled her in closer, moaning in her ear, "But I just want to make love to my beautiful wife…is that really so bad?"

"No, but we've made love countless times before," Sarah chided him, "What's going to be so different about this time?"

"This time you'll be my wife," AJ told her, "and I know that it doesn't seem to be all that different...I thought so too, until today. I don't think I have ever loved you quite as much as I do right now. The depth of it is amazing me more by the minute and I just know that this time, it is going to be amazing beyond all imagining, for both of us."

Sarah stroked AJ's cheek with her soft, gentle hand, conveying how she understood.

"I know…I'm excited myself, Baby, but we can't just leave all of these people, who've come all this way and given us so much…a couple of hours, then we'll make a fast get-away, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," AJ nodded, "Two hours sounds good."

They proceeded out to the front of the house, where the limo was waiting for them to take them to the hotel, where the reception would take place.

OOOO

Two hours and forty minutes later, they were still there and Sarah was looking for the right opportunity to make their excuses. But her new brother-in-law Mark Roberts had just requested a dance and Sarah couldn't bring herself to turn her kind-hearted brother-in-law down. He'd traveled all the way from Okinawa to attend the wedding and he'd always treated her as much of a sister as his twin, Nikki.

After that she saw her husband excuse himself from his Mother, who he'd danced with for that song, and make his way towards her. Before he got much further, though, she saw her Dad intercept him and make some kind of request.

AJ smiled, patted Harm on the arm and pushed him towards her.

"Couldn't let my little princess go without one last dance, could I?" Harm asked, sweeping her into his arms.

"Oh, Dad," Sarah smiled, "AJ and I are going to be gone for two weeks, that's all! You act like we're catching the next space shuttle leaving the galaxy!"

"Hey," Harm reminded her, "my littlest angel is about to start off a whole new life of her own. She'll have a new husband and a new home and all sorts of new responsibilities…"

"One of which will still be her old Mom and Dad," Sarah finished, kissing him gently on the cheek, "You and Mom came into my life at a time when I needed you most. No matter how tough things got, you were always there for me and nothing would ever change that. It's going to be just the same way, now. No matter what time it is, if you need me, you give me and AJ a call. We'll be there in a split second, you hear?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Harm marveled at the strong force within her, the one he had spotted just a couple of hours after meeting her for the first time. Both his daughters never ceased to amaze him; they had been doing so for many years, now. In a way, Harm thought them to be so much like their mother, despite the fact that neither of them were biologically related to either child. Maybe it was explained by all that they had survived, in their turbulent young lives.

With a last kiss to her forehead and a gentle swat to the backside, Harm passed Sarah back to her husband, who had come up beside them.

Sarah gladly moved into her new husband's arms, hooking hers around the back of his neck and stroking the short hair, there.

"You want to get out of here, now?" she asked, after a second.

"Let's just stay here for a few minutes, for just one last dance," AJ shook his head.

"I thought you wanted to get me on my own and all to yourself," Sarah teased, smiling softly.

"Mmm, I do," AJ nodded and sure enough, Sarah could feel that against her hip!

"I just want to stay like this for a few minutes longer," AJ continued, "Just to remember all of this, exactly as it is."

They took a long, slow look around at all of their guests, some of whom were oblivious to them, some of whom had their gaze fixed on the beautiful new couple, Mac and Harriet included. With a last visual memory of how many people were here to support them on this most important of days, Sarah and AJ Roberts turned their attention to each other and sealed their vows with another slow, heart-felt kiss. When the song ended, they both said their goodbyes to all of their family and friends then headed to the honeymoon suite, which they had booked for the night…Well, it was a distinct possibility that they would remain there until they had to leave to catch their flight, the next evening!

Before they could step out of the elevator, AJ swept Sarah off her feet and into his arms.

"AJ Roberts! She admonished him, gently, "With that bad back you've been nursing for weeks now, you don't need to be carrying me around!"

"Shh!" AJ told her, capturing her lips with his, "There's not a thing you can say to dissuade me, Sarah Roberts…There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

FIN

AN: Just a quick request; If you liked it, I'd love to hear about it!


End file.
